Downton Africa
by L4U74
Summary: Wild at Heart/Downton Abbey crossover. Alice Collins has managed to find work at Downton Abbey, but the pressures of being a house maid has put her job in serious jeopardy. Will she manage to cope with her new life and retain her boundaries with a certain Lord Trevanion...?
1. The New Girl

_I think we all need a little Danice love after the horrible news about the show, and Danny's personality transplant during last series, so I present before you...a Downton Abbey/Wild At Heart crossover! I've been working on this on-and-off since early January, in attempt to finish it before I uploaded it, and make sure it was good as it could possibly be. I hoped it's worked! Everything that is mentioned *should*be historically accurate in some shape or form, but apologies if this isn't the case. You don't need to watch DA to understand this! I really hope you enjoy as much as I did writing it._

* * *

**_Downton Africa_**

_**Chapter One - The New Girl**_

Lord Daniel Trevanion looked up from his morning newspaper to see his butler, Carson, to be stood in the doorway, looking rather on edge. Mr. Carson was known to be a man of immense organisation, and prided himself on the efficient way that the house, Downton Abbey, was run. He was, however, a kind man, who tried his best to give his staff second chances, even if they did not necessarily deserve them.

Carson's latest problem concerned a new maid, who had turned up with little house keeping experience. It would seem she had a reputation for being dismissed from various jobs, which instantly caused concern for him. If it was not for Lord Du Plessis' insistence that the girl be given a chance, Carson would have torn up her application as soon as it had been dumped on his desk. Du Plessis, however, had a certain fondness for those who were seemingly at a disadvantage to others, meaning Carson had no choice but to regrettably give her the position.

"Your tea, milord" Carson announced, sighing a little as the maid pushed past him, carrying a heavy metal tray. She was wearing the usual maid's uniform, a greyish blue dress underneath a white apron, which had been tied tightly around her waist and into a neat bow behind her back. Her sapphire eyes sparkled in the sunlight that was streaming through the polished windows, and her long jet black hair had been messily plaited and rested over her shoulder.

She placed the tray down on the coffee table, "Sorry I took so long," She apologised, with a strong Glaswegian accent, "I accidentally smashed one of the cups on the way here. I don't think Mr. Carson is best pleased, but it's the first day on the job, I can't be expected to get everything right now, can I?"

"Of course not" Lord Trevanion chuckled, "What's your name?"

"Alice. Alice Collins" She smiled, glancing over at Carson who, by this point, was positively fuming, "You must be the great Lord of the house. Everyone speaks very highly of you"

"I am indeed, although I wouldn't say I was the great Lord of the house" He replied, modestly, "You must be mistaking me for Lord Du Plessis"

"No" She replied "I'm quite certain that th-"

"-Do you require anything else, milord?" Carson interrupted, prompting Alice to scowl in annoyance.

His pompous attitude was infuriating to her, and so far she had contemplated quitting at least twice that morning, on the basis that she couldn't cope with being treated like she was nothing by people who were exactly the same as her. Admittedly, it wasn't a great start to a new job, but this was the first decent opportunity she had had in months, so she decided to just grit her teeth and try and get used to it. Besides, even if the downstairs staff were rude and obnoxious, at least Lord Trevanion seemed genuinely respectful.

Trevanion shuck his head, "No, I'm fine, I'm sorry for distracting you, Alice"

"Oh no, its a pleasure. I'll see you later" She said, walking towards the door, glaring a little at the butler as she turned.

"You must always curtsey when you intend to leave his Lordship's presence" Carson told her, trying to ignore her stare and regain order, "and you must always finish your reply with 'milord', to show respect. If you don't, it is considered rude. You don't want to offend his Lordship"

She raised a disapproving eyebrow, as she curtsied quickly at Trevanion, "Not as rude as being interrupted, I'm sure"

Lord Trevanion watched her with evident amusement, trying hard to keep the look of admiration from his face. He knew instantly that he should have been offended by her forward conversation, quick wit and lack of professionalism, but the way the light danced in her eyes menacingly as she spoke completely captivated him.

She left the room promptly, leaving Carson shaking his head with shame, "I'm so sorry, milord. We still haven't had chance to give her a bit of training, we've been very busy this morning"

"Its fine" Trevanion grinned, "Please, go resume whatever it was that you were doing before I disturbed you"

Carson bowed before exiting the room, and descended the grand staircase of the abbey. He was immediately heading for the kitchens, where Alice would no doubt be chatting with the staff and generally not doing anything of use. He walked quickly, but upholding his smart posture, even as he entered the staff quarters.

"MISS COLLINS!" He bellowed, as soon as he had reached the privacy of the kitchens. Everyone finished their conversations abruptly, and turned to face the angered butler. Alice stopped talking to Mrs Patmore, the head cook immediately and frowned at Mr. Carson in annoyance

"Don't shout at me like that!" She snapped, "I'm not a dog!"

Thomas, and O'Brien, the footman and lady's maid respectively, sniggered from the doorway, looking towards the butler's face as it practically turned red in rage. Thomas was a fairly handsome looking young man, but had a cruel heartless personality about him, and cold, dead eyes to match. O'Brien gave the same outward impression, her face never showing any emotion other than pure hate. Her dark hair was always scraped back tightly, and her fringe permanently curled with precision. Both were generally disliked by the staff, and shared a joy of causing trouble for Mr. John Bates, the valet, who had luckily learned not to rise to their childish and manipulative behaviour.

"If you carry on speaking to me in that way, I will not allow you to work here!" Carson shouted over their laugher, scowling at Alice furiously.

Mr. Bates limped into view, his old war wound causing him a great deal of pain, "What's going on? His Lordship wants to see you, Mr. Carson"

"Very well" Carson nodded, "Somebody teach this girl some manners while I'm gone"

Everyone watched him storm out of the kitchen, before continuing with their duties. Mrs Patmore resumed the preparations for the next meal, with her assistant cook, Daisy, who was uselessly dithering with the potatoes. Thomas and O'Brien began gossiping about Alice at once, who was now stood alone, awkwardly isolated from the group.

"Don't worry about old Carson" Bates told her cheerfully, "He's just a bit stressed at the moment"

"Thanks" Alice smiled unconvincingly

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "It'll get better. I promise."

"He's right, you know" The second footman, William agreed, "It always does"

The day came and went, with the staff getting on with their numerous duties, and not paying much attention to Alice, who was undeniably in everyone's disfavour. She sat quietly in the servant's hall, swirling water around in her glass absently. Most of the other servants had retired to bed by this point, leaving her alone with her thoughts in the darkness.

Throughout her first day, had earned herself several unnecessary scoldings from Carson, and warnings that she would be dismissed from the house indefinitely if she did not improve overnight. He had a high expectation of how the house should be run, and apparently she was not behaving in a manner that was deemed acceptable for retaining those expectations. She had spent most of the afternoon polishing the already glimmering silverware and several pairs of shoes as punishment.

Her training had consisted of an extremely quick tour, and a list of regulations that must be followed at all times, of which emphasis was put on the formality and politeness rule. Most of the other maids had enjoyed watching her make a fool of herself, and felt as though they could look down at her due to her inexperience. She had made one friend, however, in her roommate and also head house maid, Anna, who had taken Alice under her wing and given her a proper introduction to the workings of the house.

Anna was a pretty young woman, with a slim figure and blonde hair that was partially hidden by the compulsory white maid's cap. She stepped into the darkness of the kitchen at that very moment, to find Alice sitting silently at the table. She switched on the light and went to sit down beside her, carefully trying to avoid scraping the chair on the stone floor.

"I thought you might be in here" Anna said, softly, "Bad day?"

Alice sighed, "Horrendous"

"It'll get easier, you know" Anna smiled sympathetically

"I bet Mr. Carson never had a bad first day" Alice snorted "I bet he was born in his dinner jacket"

Anna laughed, "Nobody is perfect. Even Mr. Carson messes up sometimes. Come on, you need to go to sleep. We have an early start"

"Ok" Alice sighed, "I'll go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day."

_**End of Chapter One**_

_A/N – For any hardcore Downton fans, I've changed the character of Carson a bit, to make him a stricter and less lenient with any screw ups, just for storytelling purposes. Thank you for reading this first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Much love!_


	2. Awkward Beginnings

_**Chapter Two - Awkward Beginnings **_

Daniel Trevanion woke with a start as a door slammed loudly down the corridor. He could faintly hear the shouts of Lady Olivia, who seemed to be protesting about some sort of injustice. Several hushed voices accompanied her yells, desperately trying to calm her down and force her to be composed. He groaned and sat up sleepily, screwing up his eyes as he stretched his arms out in front of him and yawned. Trevanion pulled himself out of bed and got dressed immediately, not bothering to call for the valet.

Anna was placing a vase of yellow flowers in the middle of the great mahogany dining table as he entered the room subtly, trying to avoid appearing too demanding. As soon as she spotted Trevanion, she straightened up, and gave a polite curtsy in his general direction, which he dismissed with a wave of his hand.

While he had no complaints about his life, especially seeing as he owned half of the house that he and his family lived in, Trevanion sometimes wished that the staff wouldn't walk on eggshells around him. He supposed it was due to their constant fear of being sacked, which by Carson's high standards, was understandable, but this meant he often lacked decent conversation, and was frequently lonely, despite having a house full of people.

"Good morning Anna" He greeted kindly

"Good morning, milord. Do you want me to fetch your breakfast?" She asked

"Just some tea and toast, thank you" He nodded, "What was going on with Olivia this morning?"

"Oh, she wanted to go into town with Master Thabo, but Lady Caroline wouldn't let her" Anna explained, "They had a bit of an argument about it"

"Sounds about right" He sighed, gloomily

"I'll go fetch your breakfast, milord" Anna said, excusing herself from the room.

She went in the direction of the servant's hall, and took a deep breath before going down the stairs. She had been trying to avoid being downstairs for long periods of time as of late, which had meant her job was becoming increasingly challenging. Carson had been overly up tight and cautious ever since the arrival of Alice, meaning they had all suffered because of the stress that she had put him under. Anna knew it wasn't Alice's fault, but having to live and work in a tense environment such as that was proving to be rather uncomfortable. As soon as Alice got used to the house and learnt how to do things properly, everything would be fine, but it seemed she was far from impressing Carson.

"Tea and toast for Lord Trevanion in the dining room" Anna announced as soon as she reached her destination, "and make it quick!"

Trevanion had received and eaten his breakfast in no time, and had even had the pleasure of reading the newspaper as soon as it had arrived. He was now stood on the landing, shouting through the door of his best friend's bedroom. He was vaguely aware of how idiotic he must look, a few of the servants looked at him with confusion as they passed, going about their morning chores.

"Come ON, Dup!" Trevanion shouted, braying on the bedroom door, "I want to go into town before everything closes"

The door swung open suddenly, revealing a rather grumpy Anders Du Plessis, "Ack, I'm ready, man!"

Trevanion followed Dup back into the room as he quickly hunted round for his old hat. They hardly passed conversation as Dup adjusted to the light of day and retrieved his accessory from the dressing table.

"Are you ready now?" Trevanion asked in agitation, not watching where he was going as he left the room. He walked straight into a familiar maid, who dropped the bed sheets that she was awkwardly carrying in her arms.

"Oh!" Trevanion exclaimed, his face turning slightly pink, "Alice!"

"I'm so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going and -" She babbled

"No" He dismissed, "it was my fault...here...let me help you"

He bent down and hastily retrieved the bed sheets from the floor. He dusted each one off unnecessarily and handed them back to her.

Alice gratefully accepted them and placed them over one arm carefully, "Thank you"

"I'm sorry about that" He mumbled

She bowed her head gracefully, "Its fine, milord"

"How are you finding Downton?" He asked, trying to ignore the massive grin that had crept onto Dup's face, "Carson isn't being too hard on you, is he?"

Alice shuck her head, "No more than what I deserve, milord"

Du Plessis coughed loudly, raising his eyebrows subtly at Trevanion. Dup was neither oblivious nor stupid, and he knew instantly why his friend had jumped at the chance to help a maid. Trevanion was blushing like a schoolboy as he spoke, which didn't come as much of a shock, considering she wasn't the usual sort of maid that Downton usually employed.

Dup generally hated the idea of domestic service, especially when it came to giving orders. He was happy enough to wonder off around the grounds of the house at his own will, and even went as far as to treat the staff as personal friends. Although he was the original owner of Downton, he only really kept the property because it had been passed down through the generations. He had now married Lady Caroline and had gained a proper family, who all lived within the house. They all had much greater outlooks on how their home should be run, so he left them to it and kept relatively quiet about his objections. "Dup, this is Alice" Danny sighed in exasperation, "Alice, this is Lord Du Plessis"

"Nice to meet you, milord" She said politely, doing a small curtsy

Dup scoffed, "Ack, don't bother with that bloody bowing nonsense. Call me Dup"

"Of course" She nodded, "Anyway, I should be-"

Alice awkwardly gestured to the sheets, nodding her head in their direction. She was faintly aware that Lord Trevanion seemed almost nervous as he spoke, but she presumed it was because she had embarrassed him in front of his friend. Lords didn't apologise to maids, nor did they politely introduce them to other people of wealth, so he was obviously trying to appear as kind as Dup was. Dup seemed somewhat amused by the whole altercation, which made Alice feel a bit uneasy. Were they just laughing at her failings as a maid? Quite probably.

"-Sorry, yeah" Trevanion apologised, "I won't keep you talking, we better go anyway, hadn't we? I'll see you later, Alice"

She flashed a quick smile, "See you later, milord"

Trevanion stood dumbly as he watched her hurry towards the bedrooms, smoothing out the sheets as she went. There was something about her that he admired greatly, but he just couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly.

"She seems...nice" Dup smirked, following Trevanion's gaze

"What's that supposed to mean?" Trevanion demanded, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"Oh, nothing" Dup chuckled, "You don't fool me, man"

_**End Of Chapter Two**_

_Thank you to everyone who has read/reviewed so far!_


	3. Accidents Happen

_**Chapter Three - Accidents Happen**_

Alice yawned as she wiped down the large breakfast table in the main dining room. A bunch of sunshine yellow daffodils sat neatly in the centre, giving the room a much needed homely feel.

"We're all done here" One of the superior maids barked, "Come along, Collins"

"Okay" she sighed, as the maids filed out of the room quickly. She followed them reluctantly, swinging her cloth around in boredom as she walked.

Although she was grateful to have a job in such a beautiful house, Alice couldn't help but think that she was worth so much more than being a maid. She had only been at Downton for a few days, but it already felt like a lifetime. The early mornings and the amount of work that demanded her attention promised to cause her great difficulty for the foreseeable future, but if she wished to stay in employment, she couldn't do anything but accept it.

It wasn't made any easier by the fact that she seemed to have already made enemies in Thomas and O'Brien, who had begun to shoot threatening glances in her direction every time they saw her. This pleased Carson highly, although not a cruel man, he was desperately trying to force her into resignation. He came across as a well-kept and organised man that disliked anything that would disrupt the workings of the household, and as Alice got to know him, she realised her initial judgement was correct.

In light of this, she had decided to do everything in her power to impress him, and make it clear to anyone who would listen that she would not admit defeat easily. This somehow backfired, however, as she found herself volunteering to clean the dining room that very morning, dusting all the random pieces of art that she observed intently.

Alice spotted a large vase stood in the doorway as she approached, which was proudly displayed on a polished wooden stand. The stand was decorated with a well defined fleur-de-lys pattern, and loosely held the vase, which had been hand painted in various shades of yellows and browns. Before she could stop the inevitable from happening, the cloth struck the vase, causing it to wobble and lean slightly towards the right. It hurtled towards the marble floor before she could process what was happening, and shattered as soon as it made impact with the ground. Shards of pottery flew in all directions, causing a loud echoing smash to sound throughout the house.

Carson appeared in an instant, finding the new maid stood over the remains of what used to be an expensive piece of art. It was almost as though he was following her, and praying that he would find her in a situation that could result in her dissmissal.

"I am SO sorry!" She exclaimed alarmingly, "It was an accident!"

"Do you realise how much that vase was worth!?" He seethed

Alice shrugged nervously, "I presume a lot?"

"A LOT?" He shouted, "A LOT? Try a couple of thousand rand!"

"Really?" She scoffed, "It wasn't _THAT_ nice..."

"Miss Collins!" He fumed, "Since you are not taking this seriously, I suggest you return downstairs at once! This will be coming out of your pay, you understand? I will be seriously thinking about if you belong here at Downton"

"Yes, Mr. Carson" She nodded sadly, "Of course, Mr. Carson"

Alice mentally kicked herself as she sloped back to the kitchens. She was certain her plan would work, and not end in such a disaster. Mr. Carson would definitely want rid of her now, and she was sure that there was nothing she could say or do to convince him otherwise.

She knew working at Downton was too good to be true, but she had never expected such a reception from the staff that worked there. Other than a few exceptions such as Anna, and Mr. Bates, most of the people who worked downstairs had been particularly cold towards her, and intolerant in their nature. She understood that a place such as this would have high expectations, but on her third day of service, she was already aware that there was no room for error.

Surprisingly, the family that owned Downton seemed to be far more forgiving and hospitable towards her, even though she had only met them briefly. She was certain she would dislike people who owned such a large estate, but they seemed far more pleasant, especially Lord Trevanion, who had instantly made her feel at ease. In gratitude for this, she begun preparing tea for him, ready to take up to the library where she was certain she would find him.

While she and the rest of the servants busied themselves, the upstairs family were slowly beginning to make an appearance as they woke from their sleep. While the workers of Downton were forced out of bed before the sun had risen, the family had the pleasure of sleeping until they woke up naturally, and rarely gave it a second thought.

"Good morning, Rosie" Trevanion greeted, stepping out of his room, "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you" She nodded, "I'm going into the township with Evan and Olivia soon, do you want to come with us?"

"No," He declined, "I have the accounts to go through. Maybe another day."

"Alright. I'll see you later" She said, walking away

Trevanion watched her leave before heading to the library. He relaxed into his velvet black armchair, looking up at the vast shelves that surrounded him, which held hundreds of dusty books. His oak desk stood neatly in the corner, with paper and writing equipment scattered lazily on its surface, and a matching wooden chair tucked neatly underneath. A small coffee table was directly beside him which had been stained and scratched throughout the years. A timid knock came from the grand door, followed by a loud creaking as it was pushed open, to reveal Alice carrying the tea tray.

"You're up early" She said, approaching him cautiously, "I thought you might like some tea"

He watched her dumbly for a few seconds,"...yes! Sorry, yes! Thank you"

"Sugar?" She asked, frowning at him slightly.

He nodded quickly, a little taken aback that a maid would take the time to voluntarily bring him a drink without having been asked. He liked the way that she continued to surprise him, whether it was through her thoughtfulness or her general attitude. She seemed at ease in his company, which was an odd thing to find in a maid, but it was something he appreciated immensely.

While he drank his tea, the downstairs staff were sat around their dining table, eating their simple breakfasts quickly. They were sharing idle conversation as Mr Carson entered grandly, forcing them to stand up immediately in forced respect, accompanied with a few disgruntled mumbles as they left their food.

He waved a dismissive hand, "Where's Alice?"

"She went to take tea to his Lordship" Anna replied, as the servants sighed and took their sets once again

"Oh" He said simply

Anna tried to hide a smug smile, "See, she's not as bad as you thought"

"She's just broken an expensive vase!" He exclaimed "How am I supposed to explain that to Lord Trevanion?"

O'Brien marched into the kitchen, "We have a problem, Mr. Carson" She stepped to the side to show a young girl stood nervously behind her. She wore an old, pink striped dress, with scuffed black shoes and off-white socks. Her dark brown hair sat messily on her shoulders, with brown eyes looking up through her fringe. "I found her in Alice's room"

"What?" Anna snorted, "You can't have...Alice sleeps in the same room as me..."

Carson ignored Anna, and leant over slightly to get a better look of the girl, "What is your name?"

"Charlotte" She mumbled, looking quite fearful,

"How old are you, Charlotte?" He asked, gently

The girl visibly relaxed, "Ten, sir"

"Right" Carson nodded, "And how did you get here?"

"My mum brought me here" She explained, revealing a hint of a South African accent, "She snuck me in yesterday morning, while everyone was busy. I hid in the store cupboard until she said it was safe to come out. I've been in her room all morning"

"Who's your mother?" O'Brien demanded, "Go on, tell 'em"

"Alice Collins" She replied, sadly, "She's not going to get in trouble is she?"

"Don't you worry about that" Carson said, standing up straight. He turned to Anna, and mumbled only loud enough for her to hear; "His Lordship needs to needs to know about this. Unfortunately, I don't think she'll be with us for much longer."

"Is everything alright downstairs?" Lord Trevanion questioned, sipping on his tea, "I'm sure I heard something smash earlier..."

"Yeah" Alice blushed, "That was me, sorry. Carson banished me to the kitchen afterwards, but I thought I'd bring you your tea instead"

He raised an eyebrow, "what did you break?"

"The...umm...vase in the...uh...dining room" She mumbled, nervously fidgeting with her apron

"That awful one on the wooden stand?" He asked, "Don't worry about it. I've had it for years. I always thought it was revolting. I've been tempted to smash it myself..."

"I didn't do it on purpose! It was an accident! I'm very sorry" She apologised, looking down. She suddenly felt a wave of guilt rise up inside her, which wasn't helped by Lord Trevanion's reassuring attitude.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing" He smiled, "Go on, go back downstairs. I'll deal with Mr. Carson"

Alice looked up again, as she reached for the door handle, her cheeks still slightly pink, "Thank you"

As she left the room, she saw Carson marching straight towards her current location. She walked quickly in the opposite direction, going towards the servant stairs and down into the kitchens. Carson barely noticed her slip away as he knocked loudly on the library door before entering. He bowed a little as he approached his Lordship, still ultimately showing respect through this unacceptable debacle.

"Hello, Mr. Carson" Trevanion greeted, "How can I help you? I've just been speaking to Alice..."

"Yes, sir" He nodded, "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I'm afraid she broke that new vase that you're rather fond of"

Lord Trevanion had bought the vase at an auction week or so ago, after searching for a decorative piece such as that for months. Admittedly, it wasn't something which attracted great attention, but it suited the dining room perfectly, and he admired greatly it every time he passed it. He was slightly down heartened at the thought of it being reduced to shards and dust, but he didn't wish to cause Alice any guilt. She may not be the most practical of maids to have ever worked at Downton, but she was rapidly becoming one of his favourite, as much as Carson would convince him otherwise.

"Oh yes" Trevanion said gloomily, "I know. It doesn't matter"

"I'll be taking money from her wages to pay for it, or course" Carson explained,

Trevanion frowned, "No. There's no need for that. It's just a vase. It's nothing."

Carson faltered at Trevanion's lack of authority for a second, "That's not all, milord" he explained, "We found a ten year old girl in Alice's room. It's her daughter"

"Alice has a daughter?" Trevanion asked, raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"It would appear so, milord" Carson sighed, "I am just about to go downstairs to end her services"

Trevanion shuck his head, "There is no need to do that, either. As long as the girl stays out of trouble and remains in the kitchens, I see no problems with the two of them continuing to stay here"

"But-" Carson tried to protest

"-That is my final word on the matter!" Trevanion interrupted, "Alice need never know about my involvement"

"Miss Collins is not fit to be a maid, milord" Carson tried to reason

Trevanion sighed, "Let her just make the tea, then. She can do that. There's nothing that could possibly go wrong with making tea. She can continue to receive the same wages, but with a simpler role."

"Yes, milord" Carson agreed reluctantly, "I understand. I shall go tell her right away."

_**End of Chapter Three**_


	4. The Tea Girl's Secret

_**Chapter Four - The Tea Girl's Secret**_

"Ah, thank you, Alice" Lord Trevanion grinned, as she placed the tray in front of him, "How are you this morning?"

"Unfortunately, I've been banned from conversing with you, sir" Alice sighed, "I'm only allowed to ask you how you'd like your tea"

His smiled disappeared instantly, "Who said that?"

"Carson" She explained, "I have no idea why he decided not to sack me, but I'm very grateful. Although, I _have_ been delegated to bringing the tea; under the condition I remain silent"

"Well, that is no good at all" He frowned, "Ignore Carson. I won't tell if you don't"

Alice laughed, "Yes, sir...but, while we're on the subject...how _would_ you like you tea?"

"Milk, two sugars, please" He said, chuckling

"Coming right up" She nodded, pouring hot water into his cup.

"How's your daughter?" He inquired, "Her name is Charlotte, isn't it?"

Alice looked up from the tray and stared at him with a pleasantly surprised look on her face, "Yes, that's right. She's settling in well, milord, thank you."

Lord Trevanion beamed, "Glad to hear it."

After each member of the upstairs family had had their tea, the morning and afternoon seemed to pass quickly. And, as the sun set, Anna found herself sitting with Mr. Bates in the kitchens, looking across at him contently. She glanced down every so often at the simple ring that he had given her, certain that this was the happiest she had been in a long while, and with the promise of a joyful life stretching out ahead of her. Thoughts of their future together were already racing through her mind uncontrollably, making her physically unable to keep a grin from appearing her delighted face.

Alice beamed at the newly engaged couple as she entered the room exhaustedly. Most of the other servants were busy preparing the dining room for the evening meal, but she had instead been banned from going anywhere near the area until they were finished.

It was as much of a mystery to Alice as it was to anyone else to how she still had a job at Downton, especially due to the amount of breakages that all seemed to coincide with her involvement. Her reputation for being clumsy was growing rapidly, particularly after the vase incident and the breaking of various cups, all of which she claimed were accidents, although some servants were not entirely convinced.

"Don't mind me" Alice grinned, interrupting immensely, "I think a congratulations is in order, isn't it?"

"I guess so" Anna nodded

"So, when's the big day?" Alice quizzed excitedly, "Get married in Africa, eh?"

A flash of sadness suddenly entered Anna's eyes, "I kind of wish we were back in England, you know? With family"

Alice frowned, "Doesn't your family live here, too?"

"No" Anna sighed, "When the family moved over here a few years ago, we came with them so that we wouldn't be out of work. They only came out here for a holiday, but after they met Lord Du Plessis and fell in love with the house, they bought the place"

"Oh, to have money..." Alice joked, seemingly unimpressed. As much as she respected the family that owned Downton, she hated that they had no basic understanding what it is like to live in poverty. Reminding herself of this helped her to place barrier between them, as much as she hated to do so.

"What about you?" Mr Bates asked "You're from Scotland, aren't you, so why are you here?"

Alice shrugged, "I don't know, just...reasons"

"Like..." Anna prompted

"We didn't have a lot of money back home, and after my mum died, things got pretty bad" Alice explained, "I mean, my dad practically hated me, so I got out as soon as I could and searched for work in England. I got married, but that didn't work out, so I brought Charlotte over to Africa; just hoping I'd find something"

Anna listened closely, her heart sinking as her friend spoke, "...And you found Downton?" She asked, gently, "At least you got your happy ending"

"Not really" Alice replied, gloomily, "As much as I love Downton, it still doesn't pay enough for me to send Charlotte to school, and I'm scared she's gonna end up like me. I don't want that kind of life for her."

O'Brien hid within the shadows of the kitchen, listening to every detail that passed Alice's lips. Her complaints about the wages replayed in O'Brien's mind, triggering a smug smile as a plan formed.

It was common knowledge that Carson was already on the verge of sacking Alice, which he would not hesitate to do if he found out about her criticisms of the household. Most of the servants were also aware of Lord Trevanion's particular fondness of Alice, which was something that required immediate intervention. Blatant favouritism did not sit well with O'Brien, who knew Alice needed to be gotten rid of, extremely quickly. It was then that she found herself replaying Alice's conversation to Lady Caroline a few moments later, with the hope that the new maid would be dismissed, once and for all.

"I'm beginning to think you just like making me run up and down those stairs" Alice sighed, as she entered the library. Lord Trevanion looked up from his newspaper, and placed it neatly on the arm of his chair. He sat forward slightly and gazed up at her, as she placed the tray onto the table and began making his beverage.

"Well, now that you mention it..." He grinned

"And the truth is out!" She replied in mock shock, "I have a good mind to refuse next time, and then you'll have no choice other than to get it yourself"

"I don't think Carson will be too impressed..." He reminded her, still smiling as he gratefully took his cup of tea.

She nodded miserably, "You're right. He hates me enough as it is"

"I wouldn't tell him, though" He said, watching her saddened face.

"You're too kind to me" She replied, looking down to the floor, "And I don't really deserve it"

"Yes, you do!" He exclaimed, a little too forcefully. She looked up at him in shock, turning a little pink. He rambled in an effort to cover his blatant outburst; "I...uh...I heard that you've been having some problems recently"

He had been aware the difficulties that Alice was facing for a number of hours, after Lady Caroline had approached him with information she had received from an unspecified source. The way Alice looked at him as he spoke confirmed it was true, making it harder to even contemplate relieving her of her duties as a maid.

"Don't pity me" She begged, "I may be a servant, but please don't-"

He shuck his head "I don't pity you. I want to help you"

"How could you possibly help me?" She asked

Lord Trevanion took a deep breath, "Let me pay for your daughter's education"

She was sure that time stood still in the moment, as nothing could have prepared for what he had just offered. She was aware of his kind heart, but his words had just exceeded every expectation she had of his caring limitations.

Her mouth dropped open, as she stood in stunned silence, "What?!"

"Let me..." He said slowly, "pay for your daughter to go to school"

"NO!" She shouted, "I mean, I'm grateful, of course I am, but I can't let you do that for me! Charlotte knows I can't afford it, and as much as she'd want me to accept your very kind offer, I have to say no!"

He sighed heavily, "But, Alice-"

"Why?" She demanded, folding her arms in impatience

Lord Trevanion frowned, "What?"

"Why?" She repeated, "Why me? Why Charlotte? What makes me any different to any other of the servants downstairs? Why are you being so kind to me? I know I am lucky to be working here, especially after everything that I've broken and everything that I've said, so why would you want to give money to such a useless maid?"

"Because...because I...I..." He stammered, "I just want to help"

Alice turned to leave, "You don't need to help me"

"Don't make me order you to accept it" He said, "It's not a loan. There's no catch"

She froze at the doorway, her hand hovering over the shiny brass handle, "What would your family say?"

He stood up, staring softly at her, "What I do with my money is my business. They need never know. I wouldn't tell anyone. It could be our secret"

"Ok" she whispered, looking over her shoulder, "I accept it. But if you ever change your mind-"

"I won't" He promised, "You have my word. Thank you for the tea, Alice"

She turned her head back towards the door and pulled it open, "No, thank _you, _sir"

"Considering the circumstances...and our...arrangement...I think it would be for more appropriate if you just called me Danny" He smiled

She nodded quickly and stepped out of the room, "Thank you, Danny."

_**End Of Chapter Four**_


	5. Burning Love

_Sorry about the wait since the last chapter, I was attemping to do NaNoWriMo, but it didn't go so well. Too much college work to do so I decided I would have to concentrate on my studies, rather than waste a whole month writing a novel. Anyway, here's Chapter 5 of Downton Africa..._

_**Chapter Five - Burning Love**_

Alice looked up at the lion painting blearily, wiping sleep from her eyes as she dusted. She ran her duster across the gold tinted frame, which held the artwork securely to the wall. She observed the lion that had been created with precision, each brush stroke carefully intertwined to create the magnificent beast. Its golden brown fur looked soft to touch, as it stood proudly on an eroded rock, looking up into the blue African skies. She noted that there was a sublime element to the creature, fear enticing, yet a beautiful specimen of such a wild animal.

She sighed heavily and dropped the duster onto the floor, reaching for the cleaning bleach and the cloth half-heartedly. She stretched her arms up as high as she could, and began to spray the harsh liquid on the frame and wipe it clean. Alice noticed a few speckles of bleach had settled on the canvas, and had slowly begun to dribble down across the paint. She dabbed at the liquid with her cloth in annoyance, noticeably smudging and blurring the paint. Her eyes widened in horror as the lion's mane merged with the blues and greens of the scenery, visibly ruining with each touch of the cloth. She stopped as the lion became mostly unrecognisable, and the painting remained a mess of colours.

"Alice?" Anna called, coming into view "His lordship wants tea in the libr-" She froze in front of the artwork, looking up at what used to be one of Downton's prized pieces of art, "-oh my god!"

"It was an accident!" Alice exclaimed, panic setting in, "I didn't mean to...please don't tell Carson! He'll sack me! I'm only cleaning the bloody thing because one of the maids is sick!"

Anna looked across at Alice sadly, "I'm sorry. I have to tell him, you know I do"

"I guess I'll go pack my bag" Alice nodded

Anna placed a reassuring hand on Alice's shoulder, "He might not sack you"

"Yeah, right" Alice snorted, "I'm on my final warning already. I'll go take tea to the library, and then I'm gone."

Once she had prepared the tea, Alice carefully ascended the stairs, holding the tray firmly as she made her way to Danny's room, keeping an eye on the steam that rose from the teapot. She was very aware that this was the last time she would take tea to him, something which filled her with more sadness than she could have anticipated. Anna had presumably told Carson as soon as she could, which Alice didn't feel any hatred towards; it was her job, after all. Alice was now patiently awaiting orders to leave the premises, presumably without any references and the hope that her next employer would be as understanding about Charlotte as Danny had been. That was, if she managed to find another job.

Carson stormed into the hallway, trying to locate her as soon as he heard what she had done, "ALICE!"

She grimaced and gulped as she prepared for the worst. She knew by his furious expression of his reddened face and lowered brow that she would not be getting off lightly.

"What?" She sighed, slowly turning to look at him as she reached the top

"I've been informed you've damaged yet another piece of art. You do understand that I cannot overlook this"

"It was an accident!" She protested, "Can we talk about this later?"

Carson gasped slightly, "No we cannot!"

"But, the tea..." She said, her arms painfully shaking under the weight of the heavy tray. She was desperate to escape his cold stare, and into the safety of the library.

"Give it here" He ordered, extending an arm towards her as he climbed the stairs quickly

Alice began to walk backwards in panic, "No!"

"Alice..." He warned

Alice narrowed her eyes, "I said - " She stepped backwards, unexpectedly hitting the wall behind her. She jumped as her back made contact, and let a small yelp escape from her mouth as she let go of the tray in shock. The expensive pottery plummeted towards the polished floor, shattering as it hit the ground. The teapot that had been previously sat on the tray emptied its boiling hot contents all over her wrist as it also hurtled downwards. She felt the water melt and blister her flesh within an instant, making her unable to contain her screams of pain as she burst into hysterical tears.

Danny shot out of the library immediately, reacting to Alice's cries as soon as he heard them. The way she looked at him at that moment, with tears rolling swiftly down her cheeks, made his soul ache, forcing him to realise that she had inadvertently touched his heart, something which he never thought anybody would ever be able to do again.

"Carson, phone the doctor immediately" He demanded, before taking hold of her unscathed arm, and pulling her gently into his en suit bathroom.

"I-I—I'm f-f-ine!" She managed to say through sobs, as he pushed her to the sink and twisted the cold water tap. Water streamed out instantly, as he forced her arm into the sink. "No! Get off!" She fought, wincing in pain, "Let go"

"Shut up" He said, though not cruelly, as he resisted against her and kept her wrist under the numbing water. He put his free arm around her body to stop her escaping, and to comfort her as she slowly relaxed and the tears stopped trickling down her face. They stood in silence for what seemed like forever, until he finally reached to turn off the tap "There's nothing more you can do until the doctor gets here. Are you ok?"

"Y-yes" She nodded, her breath still quick and shallow as she tried to calm down "T-th-ank-y-ou"

He shuck his head, "No need to thank me"

"Y-you didn't ha-have to. Most L-Lords wouldn't" She said, turning round to face him. She looked into his kind eyes, very aware that he still had a soft hold of her arm and waist.

"I'm not most Lords" He smiled, watching her intently. He felt his pulse quicken, and heard her breath hitch in her throat. He stood for a few moments before considering his next move. He slowly tilted his head ever so slightly and leaned closer towards her. He pressed his lips softly against hers, prompting them both to lose themselves in the unpredicted moment.

"The doctor his here, milord" Carson announced, shouting into the room. Alice pulled away immediately, glancing towards the door and blushing furiously in embarrassment. She was aware that Danny's gaze was fixed on her, trying desperately to judge what she was thinking and feeling. She avoided his eyes, wanting to separate herself from him.

"I think I should go" She whispered, brushing past him and exiting the room.

_**End of Chapter Five**_


	6. Newspaper Problems

_The original idea for this fic was to finish it before the final WAH episode...which, as you can tell...has gone brilliantly. Anyway, here is Chapter 6. _

_**Chapter Six - Newspaper Problems**_

Alice knocked on the door timidly, fiddling with the newspaper in her hand and pausing briefly to allow some sort of response from the inside. When none came, she sighed and pressed forward into the room with only a hint of hesitation. Danny was sitting at his desk, deep in thought as he scratched notes onto a piece of paper with an inky pen.

As she entered, his attention didn't falter from his writing, which meant he barely registered her presence until she cleared her throat dramatically. She was a little more than annoyed at his rudeness, especially considering the events that had occurred only a week ago.

"Ah, is that the newspaper?" He asked, not looking up, "Just put it over there. Thanks"

"No problem" She nodded, making the sarcasm in her voice evident, as she walked towards his chair, and neatly placed the paper over the arm

His head shot up in alarm as soon as he heard her voice, swivelling around in his desk chair so he could see her properly. His eyes were immediately drawn to her bandaged wrist, which she had begun to massage softly with her left hand. "Alice."

She dropped her arms to her sides and stood to attention, awkwardly waiting for him to say something other than her name, "I need to–"

"-You should be resting" He said, coldly, as he broke his gaze away from her arm

She tilted her head slightly as she tried to judge his emotions, "It's just a newspaper. I think I can handle that"

"I'm sure you can" He responded instantly, his eyes now fixed on hers.

His sharp tone was unusual to Alice's ears, and it immediately set her on edge. Nothing about his manner appeared familiar to her, making her certain that something was wrong. True, she had avoided him ever since the incident in the bathroom, but that wasn't something that he was aware of. She was a maid, after all, and thinking herself to actually be valued by her employer would lead her to disappointment.

"I can't do it" She announced, after many moments of silence, "Work here, I mean. Not after..."

"Forget about it" He shrugged, turning back to his desk.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn't that simple. The brief moment in the bathroom had been echoing around his mind for days, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had been so distracted that even the letter that was on his desk had taken twelve failed attempts to write, and it still wasn't finished, all because his thoughts kept drifting back to her. The family had begun to notice, too, and had pointed out that he seemed to be daydreaming during meals or conversations on multiple occasions. Something had to be done.

"No!" Alice protested, "I want to resign. I don't want to make you uncomfortable in your own house."

"You're not resigning" He snorted in disbelief, "I made myself look insane trying to justify why you should stay"

Alice's mouth dropped open in shock, "That was YOU? You made Carson keep me?"

"Yes. Yes I did!" He exclaimed, "And you know why? Because I believed you deserved a second chance, and my opinion hasn't changed! I've helped you out since the day you arrived; I've even been paying for your daughter to go to school, and what, now you want to resign? Are you really that ungrateful?"

"Are YOU really throwing that back in my face?" She demanded, "I thought you were just being kind, but obviously I was wrong"

"You can think what you want, Alice" He told her, narrowing his eyes, "But I'm refusing your resignation no matter what you do or say"

"Then I'll just leave" She shrugged,

"What, and take Charlotte away from the only chance she has in life?" Danny asked, almost humouring her

Danny's brain had gone into panic mode, and he was desperately using any hold he had over her to make her stay. He knew he wasn't being fair and as much as he hated himself for it, he had no other choice.

"So," She sighed "You're basically telling me that I'm stuck here, aren't you?"

"Pretty much" He nodded, smirking a little.

"Well then," Alice scowled, picking the newspaper back up form the chair. She silently opened it out onto the middle page, and slowly began to tear it right down the middle.

"What are you-"Danny stared at her in a mixture of shock and confusion,

She held his gaze as she pulled the pages apart, and threw them up into the air, with the expression on her face not altering. She let them rain back down on her as they floated towards the ground and scattered around their feet, "-It looks like you're going to have to start doing things for yourself."

* * *

Alice was wide awake as she lay in her uncomfortable bed as she stared up at the low ceiling through the darkness. There was no window to let even the smallest amount of light into the room, making her feel even more trapped within the stone walls that surrounded her. The warmth of Charlotte sleeping opposite her was beginning to make Alice feel claustrophobic, and the sound of Anna shifting in the next bed caused her to look immediately in her direction.

Alice felt so alone, and her thoughts kept returning to the incident in the library. She couldn't quite understand how she still had a job at Downton, especially considering how out of line she had been when speaking to his lordship. She couldn't help feel as though there was some other reason as to why Danny refused to let Carson dismiss her. There was something he wasn't telling her, she was sure of it. If it had been any other job, she would have been forced to leave weeks ago, but yet, here she still was.

"What's the matter?" Anna whispered, "I can practically hear the cogs turning in your head"

"Oh, nothing" Alice sighed, "I just...look, it doesn't matter, ok?"

Anna propped herself up onto her elbow, and looked across to Alice's bed, "You've been distant all day. Has something happened?"

"Uh...No!" Alice exclaimed

"Look, Alice" Anna sighed, most definitely noticing her roommate's hesitation, "I don't know what what's gone on, but losing sleep over it isn't helping anyone, least of all you. I'm sure everything will be all right in the end, you just have to be patient, you'll see"

"Maybe it will" Alice mumbled, "But, then, maybe this time...it won't be"

_**End Of Chapter Six**_


End file.
